Somnia Online by K.T. Hanna (reading strategies book txt) 📕

fear of it. I just showed him that he wasn’t alone anymore. It’s like just making the path to begin the healing. It doesn’t fix everything, just little bits, just enough to bring them to a place where they can start the healing process.”

Sinister watched Murmur for so long that the enchanter began to feel uncomfortable.

“What?”

“Sometimes I just think we’re lucky. That’s all. To know each other the way we do, for as long as we have? I don’t know what I’d do if someone tried to take you from me now.” Sinister sounded deadly serious. More serious than Murmur had ever heard her.

Murmur tried a joke to ease the tension. “Well, at least you wouldn’t lock me up in a cage and bolt me to the floor, right?”

Sinister laughed and offered a wink as she answered. “Yeah. Sure. I wouldn’t do that at all.” She moved away before Mur could reply and made her way over to the loot chests. Murmur stood there wondering just how much of it really was a joke.

Somnia Online

Continent of Curet: The Glacier Lakes Dungeon

Version 8.4282.5 - Triggered by Murmur of Fable

Early Day Thirty-One

Karn sucked in a deep breath and approached her father. She’d been watching him for the better part of this dungeon, and it was getting more and more difficult to ignore the fact that something was very wrong. Sure, he was often a bit reckless, hence his name. He loved to joke that Risk was his name and his nature. But he wasn’t usually rude. Though there was a fine line between rude and confident, it was usually one he straddled well. His reaction to Murmur was part of the problem.

He had never been too good about having women in places of power. She wasn’t sure why, because she’d sure as hell met her grandmother, and she was a spitfire. Maybe that was it after all, though. Considering everything, of course.

Risk wasn’t demonstrating his usual skill level, to the extent that she thought he was practicing with different weapons. And if there was one thing he prided himself on, it was being good at what he did.

“Hey, Dad,” she ventured, finally managing to find him alone and not hanging around that stupid other rogue and his glares.

Risk turned, a thoughtful frown on his face, which disappeared to make way for a huge smile when he saw who was touching his upper arm. “Hey, kiddo. Wasn’t that something?”

It didn’t sound like it was a real question, more like a rhetorical one. But at the same time…he was obviously giving it more thought than she’d given him credit for. At least that was something good.

“That was awesome. Who knew that you don’t always have to kill everything to get good shit?” She laughed, trying to lighten the heavy aura that emanated from him.

He’d never been the most open father, but he’d always been fun. Right now, though, she felt like she was constantly walking on eggshells around him.

She paused a bit, waiting on him to say something, and when he didn’t, when he seemed lost in thought again. “Dad…are you okay?” She kept her voice low, not wanting for anyone else to hear.

But there was a ghost of something in his eyes, and it scared her.

He hesitated at first, seemingly unsure if he should say anything. Then he glanced around before lowering his voice so only she would be able to hear. “I don’t think so. Something doesn’t feel right in my head. I’m even more—what do you usually call it? Unreasonable than usual? My temper is all over the place.” He laughed a bit self-deprecatingly, but she could see he was deeply affected by it.

“You haven’t been acting yourself. Is it just because you’re not used to letting other people take over raid leading? I wouldn’t blame you if that were the case.” She tried to make sure he understood that she wasn’t judging him in the slightest. That she was attempting to understand him and help him if she could.

Risk hesitated again, and Karn had to force herself not to panic.

“It’s like…don’t get me wrong. I don’t like doing things in a way that I feel like is cheating, but I shouldn’t be as angry as I am about it. Yet here we are.” He sighed.

“Have you been talking to the other guild leader at all? I mean, not Murmur, who is quite nice by the way, but to Masha…maybe Jirald?” She tried her best not to put any emphasis on anything else.

Risk frowned. “Come to think of it I have been spending a lot more time with them than I have even with our own guild. That’s a good point. I wonder why?”

He seemed confused, and when he furrowed his brow, he looked like he was in pain. Karn scowled, knowing that wasn’t how her father usually was, but unsure of what to do about it. Murmur seemed to know something and have her own concerns, but Karn wasn’t an enchanter, and all she knew was that he wasn’t himself.

“Maybe hang around with us a bit more? Been missing you giving us lectures on fighting techniques.” Karn grinned.

“You mean you’ve actually missed me picking on you like I usually do?” He smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair, before realizing that she had a hood on and that wasn’t a remote possibility. “Sometimes I forget how grown up you’re getting.”

He sounded sad, and a little lost.

“S’okay, Dad. Don’t worry, I’ll be there to take care of you no matter what.” Karn grinned and then gave him a hug. “Even when I have to change your diapers.”

“Ha! I’m not that old yet. I can still give you a run for your money.”

But to Karn it sounded like he was desperately putting up bravado through his confusion. And as he returned the hug, he held on that bit longer than he usually would. When he let go, Karn could almost feel how bewildered he was. She worried for a